What LGBTQ+ stands for

Header image for Interrobang article
The LGBTQ+ community is often known to many people solely by the acronym. Some people do not know what each of these letters mean and are unsure as to what is included in the “+”. Here is a list of definitions of what each of the letters mean and the spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community.

Lesbian

A homosexual female who is attracted sexually and/or romantically to another female.

Queer

This is a term that some believe to be derogatory towards people in the LGBTQ+ community. However, in the late 1980s activists reclaimed the word so it is now an accepted term for people who are a sexual or gender minority. Queer is an umbrella term for people that do not identify as heterosexual or cisgender.

Transexual

Individuals who believe they emotionally and physically involve to the opposite sex.

Transvestite

A transvestite is often confused with transgender. Transvestite is used to describe people who dress in clothes that are typically associated with the opposite gender.

Drag Queen/King

Drag Queens and Kings are similar to transvestites in that they dress up in the other gender’s clothes. In this case, drags tend to do it for the purpose of entertainment and performances.

Gay

A homosexual person that is attracted to the same gender. Often used to describe a homosexual male, but homosexual females are often referred to as gay as well.

Asexual

The lack of sexual or romantic attraction to anyone with a low or absent interest in sexual activity.

Questioning

This is a social label for people who are still in the process of determining their sexual or gender identity.

Gender Fluid

Gender Fluid is a person who does not identify as any gender and can shift.

Pangender

Pangender individuals are people who feel they identify as all individuals.

Bisexual

A romantic, emotional and/ or sexual attraction to both males and females. It can vary depending on the amount of attraction one feels towards each gender and is not always 50/50.

Bigender

Bigender is term that is often confused with gender fluid. However, instead of not identifying as any gender a bigender individual identifies as two genders.

Two-Spirit

A term that is often used by Indigenous communities to identify people who have both male and female spirits.

Gender Variant

This is a term for individuals who do not gender identity and expression do not fit the socially defined male or female norms.

Transgender

A term for individuals who identify as a different gender than the sex that is assigned to them when they are born.

Pansexual

Also known as omnisexuality, pansexual means the individual is attracted to people regardless of their gender. Pansexual people are gender blind and think that gender is insignificant in their attraction to people.

Intersex

A variation in sex characteristics such as chromosomes and/or genitals that lead to someone not being able to identify as male or female.

Ally

An ally is an integral member of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a person who considers themself a support and a friend of people that identify as LGBTQ+.

The Spectrum group at Fanshawe is a social group that works to advocate to members of the LGBTQ+ community. They host regular events with guest speakers, discussions and college/community events. To learn more about this group email spectrumfanshawe@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page @nullspectrumfanshawec.